It was a match built up as a play-off between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mauricio Pochettino but, for all the talk about tactics, and all considerations of the greater consequences, it ultimately came down to someone else: David De Gea.
He really was the difference. And not just between Manchester United victory and defeat, but maybe the difference between Tottenham Hotspur pasting them and Tottenham Hotspur losing. Pochettino did genuinely insist that the display was much better than the 3-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s United at Old Trafford back in August, so in that regard could be happy with a “fantastic” performance.
That said much about De Gea, and in turn made Solskjaer even more delighted than usual, as well as able to make joke about it.
“He should have held a few of them,” the Norwegian quipped of the 11 saves De Gea made, the most the goalkeeper has produced in a single Premier League match, other than the 14 in the 3-1 away to Arsenal last season.
That left Solskjaer more seriously arguing that was a better display than this against Spurs, and willing to get into even grander debates about his number-one.
He first of all stated that “we’ve got the best goalkeeper in the world”, but then went even further, and further back - to genuine legends of his own playing days.
“We’ve had some great keepers at this club and I think he’s challenging Edwin [van der Sar] and Peter [Schmeichel] for the number-one spot, historically.”
That might be quibbled with if you solely count the trophies won, but that’s really one of the few arguments against De Gea, and it is actually the fact that he has played in much weaker United teams than those two that has brought out potentially superior goalkeeping qualities.
Be it a classic United game where he only has to make one key save, or one like this where he has to make a series of them, De Gea will produce. He can be relied upon, just like Van der Sar and Schmeichel, and as much as pretty much any goalkeeper you can think of.
That was especially true with some of the more “routine” saves in this match.
Whatever about the argument regarding who is United’s best ever goalkeeper- something that will always come down to subjectives - there was the argument that arose in the middle of this game - and was furthered by Gary Neville - over how many of Spurs’ shots were “straight at” De Gea.
That in itself isn’t actually that straightforward, as Solskjaer went on to argue.
The stand-in United manager said they’re really “about concentration and being in the right position”.
This is what De Gea excels at, but it’s also about the positions he can put his body into. In that regard, there is one thing that he is definitely better than Schmeichel and Van der Sar at. There can’t be too many goalkeepers in history as good as saving shots with their feet. It is incredible.
There were so many here, from that dive that kept out Harry Kane’s firm strike inside the box, to the reactions that stopped Toby Alderweireld from mere yards.
And, really, how many times have we seen similar?
How many times has an opposition player thought he’s put the ball past De Gea, only for a foot to improbably come out of what feels nowhere, and divert it away.
It is an incredible skill, and means so little of the goal is in reach for the player trying to finish.
Another more important consequence of it is the psychological effect on those attempting to beat him. This is why to dismiss shots that are supposedly directly at him as “routine” is itself misplaced.
Facing De Gea is anything but routine.
Opposition players know that, to beat him, they almost have to be perfect. That only increases the pressure, and thereby makes it even more difficult to be perfect.
This is one other reason why he’s so good, why he might well be one of United’s best.
It is certainly why they won this game.
